New Years Resolution

I quit making these a few years back, but I'm going to give it a shot again this year. My life has spiraled into total mess. I've put on weight, I've become unorganized and just miserable. Go figure! This should be the happiest time of my life, right!!!!!!

So my husband and I both are going on a diet come the first!

I vow to get healthier

I vow to get more organized

I vow to get my life back to where it should be

I want Grace to grow up in a healthy happy home! So its time to get our life back in order!!!! We're going to get her room done over the next month and start the transition from our room to hers, however I don't want all of her toys up there, I want her downstairs with us As much As possible.

I need to find her a good preschool / daycare over the next months. I also need to go through my house and if I don't need it, I need to get rid of it.

I'm entirely too young to be so old already! When the boys were growing up, I would always get "You re his mother, you look like his sister" which usually would upset me, I don't want to go from that to, or "Are you her Grandmother"? There would not be funny AT ALL.

Anyway, my boss, did I tell you I love this man! He is the greatest ever. He is always worried about me and was asking what he can do, he called last night, I went home early sick, well on the 10th I'm going to Steella Nova for a 90 minute massage!!!!!! OH I cant wait! My first massage was on a Cruise, speaking of which my Craven family is going on one WITHOUT me, can you believe that! Someone have a drink for me, I know Debbie will take lots of pics.

Got a little off topic there, So anyone else care to share their New Years Resolution???

Please have a Happy SAFE New Years!!!!! And Call a Cab if you need to.

Christmas Day

Its always been our traditional that NO ones leaves their bed without Mom and Dad getting them. (we're always up early) It was our plan to get up around 530 or 545 and to have Christmas at 630. Well Brandon (He and Lyndsey stayed at our house that night) couldn't sleep so he called my parents at 5 and Paul heard them in there talking and he woke me up at 515, I was not too thrilled, I didn't get to bed until 1245 that night. We let Grace sleep until 6 and she actually was not that bad getting up.

Her first peak around the corner.

Santa left her a note along with some PINK COOKIES that she kept saying she wanted ??????? And she loves the life size Barbie, excuse me, Princess! Anyone ready for tea?

Some of her dolls...........

And her Kitchen, which she loves. She loves having coffee with her Daddy, so Santa left her a Coffee maker.
Once she put on the hat and apron, the hat stayed on most of the morning.

Brandon and Lyndsey got mostly kitchen stuff.

Grace just loves her baby Panda.

And trying out the swing set (her daddy designed, planned and built) Yes, he has on her Pink Bakers Hat

The baby boy asked for stuff for his truck and he finally got his class ring.

It was in five boxed and wrapped in Princess Paper.

Here he is installing his speakers. He also got enough cash to get the dual exhaust done ( at least I think that is what he is doing.) He wanted seat covers from Cabala's but I waited to long to order them, maybe for his birthday/graduation gift. They are a little pricey.

Lynds seemed happy with her gift. They didn't get to stay for Breakfast, but it was nice having them there for the morning and then they came back for dinner at five. My parents and Pauls family all came over.

It was a little warm for this dress, but she still wanted to wear it. We had to turn the AC back on, this weather is crazy. I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a cough, OH JOY.

All in all, my baby girl had a wonderful day! IT was very important to her Daddy and I that this be a very special year. This is Pauls last year in school, her first year home. Her first Christmas period. She was a very happy, very sweet THANKFUL child. She is the sweetest thing, I couldn't have gotten a better gift than her.

Well I'm off to play Candy land now! Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.

Christmas Day pics to follow tomorrow! It is time for bed

Christmas Eve Night

Well we made it back from Church. I put some potatoes and rolls on and decided we would have ham for dinner. I sat right there and burned the rolls. Oh what a wonderful night its gonna be. I still had a few things to wrap so when my future daughter in law walked in, I quickly put her to work. I was hoping to bake a cake tonight, you can forget that!!!!!

We had dinner and pro ceded to open our Christmas Eve Presents - Dont go getting too excited, they are PJ's, we get them every year so that we can take our Christmas Eve Pictures.

Somewhere in all that, we did watch "Its a Charlie Brown Christmas", Paul Ray's favorite. We got cookies and milk ready for Santa and put Grace to bed around 830ish. I finally got into bed with her around 9 and I think she fell asleep around 10. Lots to do.

I would post pics of Santa's helpers hard at work, but Grace likes to look at the pictures, so I cant.

So from our home to your:

We wish you a very Merry Christmas!!!!

We went from a family of four to six just like that!!!! And it goes by so very fast.

Having a little girl was soooooooooooooo worth the wait! She is the greatest gift!

Christmas Eve

Our day started with Gracie and I going to the Honey baked ham store before work on Wednesday for what else but a Honey Baked Ham, oh so good.

Her dad stopped by during the day, one of our managers had sent a gift for Grace.
Thanks Holly, as you can tell, she loves the doll.

Doing some of her work! (Drawing pictures for everyone)

Here she is here with my boss, Tom. She has just opened her gift from him. A very large Princess book. It is nothing unusual for him to be found playing with Grace. She just adores him.

When we leave work, a little after one, I needed to run to the mall to see if I could find a bell for my mother. She gets one every year, and it would have been really bad had she not gotten one. We were in and out in 45 minutes. Now on to the house to pick up Paul Ray and PaulPaul for Church at 4. I wanted to get there a little after 3 as I knew it would be packed. I sat down and said I'm just going to sit here a minute then I need to put our dinner on before we leave. I woke up in a panic, it was 300 sharp! Great, lets hope for no traffic. We got there at 340, we did manage to find four seats together 3 rows up from the back. It was a great service other than Gracie held her ears the entire time. She does not like things loud, and it was a little loud.

Annual Breakfast with Bonny

Sunday before Christmas

It was my year to host our Christmas breakfast and exchange gifts, but its just been so a off year for me, I asked if we could do it at her place. I also just assumed my oldest who as we all know has moved out would NOT want to attend. I was wrong. (Note to self: Make sure Brandon knows next year).

We were late and the food was ready and waiting on us. Pancakes and bacon, it was a very good breakfast. then the kids exchanged gifts. It was a nice morning.

From there I had to run to the golf shop and get Tom's (my boss) his Christmas present. From there back to Bonny's to get PaulPaul who had stayed there and then onto Chris and Erins for Noahs Boys First Birthday.

Hunter boy

He enjoyed his cake, not nearly as much as Hunter boy!

December Birthdays

Running a little late......

December 2
Happy Birthday Chris (Paul Rays baby brother)


December 19
Happy Birthday Noah Boy (Chris's baby boy turned one) he like his brother Hunter does not like me either!!!!!! He is a handsome little fellow.

December 22
Happy Birthday to my Dear Hubby!!

December 26
Happy Birthday Stacey Nicole, I love you! Happy Birthday Penny!

December 29
Happy Happy Birthday Grandaddy!!!


Whew! All that and Christmas.

Ahh this would make me feel better

Oh, I dream of being on this .........

or this ........

or this ...... far away from land, not a spec of sand in sight!

With a nice little waiter to bring me these on demand!!!!!

And of course I need this to relieve my stress:

And I need this:

To Keep This:

But if i mentioned this to my dear sweet hubby, he would kill me for sure! I've been told NO for anything for some time to come!!!!!!

Oh well back to the real world, guess I'll take a pain pill and try to finish my Christmas Shopping!!!! Oh what spirit we have. And someone try explaining to my beautiful little four year old who is having her very first Christmas that it really is better to give than receive. Or that she cant have a toy because I'm sure Santa will bring it for her!!!

Our youngest niece.

Notice the marks over Gracies eyes as well as her baby doll! We had to mark each eye for surgery, so of course we had to mark "Crying Baby's" eyes also.